Jayne’s Midday Muse

This Saturday tidbit is brought to you with inspiration in mind. Today’s tidbit comes from Cameron Dokey.

I feel deeply that a story is a living, breathing creation.

As a writer, I do my best to write in a way that allows the story to become intimate for each person who reads it. The alchemy of the mind and the way our imagination can become a lens for us to see the world have both fascinated me since I was a young girl. People are divine creatures who make me feel so many things all at once. This tidbit reminds me of the depths to which storytelling can take us as writers.

“A story is alive, as you and I are. It is rounded by muscle and sinew. Rushed with blood. Layered with skin, both rough and smooth. At its core lies soft marrow of hard, white bone. A story beats with the heart of every person who has ever strained ears to listen. On the breath of the storyteller, it soars. Until its images and deeds become so real you can see them in the air, shimmering like oases on the horizon line. A story can fly like a bee, so straight and swift you catch only the hum of its passing. Or move so slowly it seems motionless, curled in upon itself like a snake in the sun. It can vanish like smoke before the wind. Linger like perfume in the nose. Change with every telling, yet always remain the same.” – Cameron Dokey

I hope that you enjoyed today’s Midday Muse. Join me next Saturday for some brand new inspiration!

July 4th 2025

I have not an ounce of doubt in the power women hold.

🎖 I see you rising, ladies. Keep going. 🏅

Happy Independence Day.

🧨We have a right to our bodies.
🧨We have a right to safe spaces.
🧨We have a right to explore this life and stay rooted in the places we feel most whole.
🧨We have a right to protect our children.
🧨We have a right to fight for us.

Let’s keep fighting for our sovereignty in spirit, in body, and in truth.

A Fun Stress Relief Game

One of the things I started doing to manage my stress during school was to play video games. I started playing this game called MyOasis. It’s supposed to help with anxiety relief and relax and calm your mind. Things are not nearly as hectic, but I still log in to decompress from the day. I probably won’t use it as much these next few weeks but we’ll see.

So there’s an island and animals. You can love on the animals for extra hearts. You can change the weather. My favorite is the game where you listen to and replay music notes. The only thing is I prefer to listen to YouTube while I play, so I don’t usually hear the notes. Overall, I enjoy playing the game to relax.

If you’d like to check it out, here’s link.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.buffstudio.myoasis&hl=en_US&pli=1

Do you have a favorite game you play to relax ?

The Power of Observation

“If a writer stops observing he is finished. Experience is communicated by small details intimately observed.” – Ernest Hemingway

When it comes to writing, it’s interesting how we can connect the dots in a story from the details given rather than being outright told things all the time. There’s one quote by Richard Price that says,

“You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying in the road.”

We get the horrors of war from this quote. From one detail. Not all the equipment. Not a heroic moment. Just one detail that reminds us of all the sacrifices of war. This is about writing.

Wanna share some fun details from your day? No explanation needed.

Notes from the Experiment

“I want to write the book that breaks rules just enough to let something holy slip through.” -Jayne.Press

I know what I wanted when I started this novel. I wanted an experimental fiction novel that not only allows me to express myself. I wanted it to get under people’s skin (just a little bit). But when it gets under their skin, I don’t want to be there. Annnd, since I’ve realized that I don’t really want to be there when people are annoyed by my experimenting, I kind of backed off a little bit. For now, at least. It just seems a bit irresponsible to get everyone all flustered and then not want to show up for it.

Now I’m debating how far I want to go. I don’t want people to throw the book down out of frustration. I want them to be frustrated (a little bit) with my audacity and keep reading because they need to know what happens. And I want to feed my readers’ minds and souls. I want us all, me included, to reach the end of my novel and feel like, yes, this is exactly what I wanted.

And that’s all.

No big deal.

Just took years of tinkering.

And then there’s quotes like this…

“Art is not about pleasing. It’s about provoking, expanding, and sometimes, confusing.”
— Tilda Swinton

And I think to myself fuck it, Sasch, go all the way and don’t apologize.

I’ve always wanted this. My entire life. To be a writer in the throes of it all and here I am.

The Cat Loaf

“I’ve unchained myself from the masters I longed to be and accepted the full responsibility of showing up for myself.”

There’s a lot of things I wanted to be and a lot of leaders I’ve wanted to emulate. I’m finally seeing things a bit more clearly. It’s not like a light went on in my head. It was no aha moment. It’s the feeling when you promise to feed your cat and you say just one second let me finish these dishes. Then you clean the bathroom, then your bedroom, then you reorganize your Pokémon cards and find your cat in a loaf silently sleeping by its bowl. Yes, that one. I mean of course your cat’s not starving, but the point is you told your cat you’d be there but got caught up in busy work. That is what I’m feeling like right now. So this is more like a re-commitment to owning my life again.

I don’t feel like I’m being bludgeoned over the head. I feel a quiet welcome back to my commitments saying, “Here’s where you left off, if you’re ready.” And of course, I, the intellectual I am, must sit down (or not sit down) and ask, “Am I ready?”

Of course I’m ready. Anything other than feeding my soul is far more boring and lacks the love that touches—well, the point is yes. I’m ready. I’m ready to get back to owning my life again.

Sunday Solitude

Earlier this week, I was wondering if there was something wrong with the way I take solitude. I wondered if maybe I should be out there more and take less solitude. The first thing that comes to mind is that I don’t take solitude for the luxury of it. I take solitude so that I can show up to my commitments with my whole self. I think that’s enough, but I feel even more confirmed after reading this quote shared by Maria Popova on The Marginalian.

“To my mind there is nothing in life so delightful as that feeling of relief, of escape, and absolute freedom which one experiences in a vast solitude, where man has perhaps never been, and has, at any rate, left no trace of his existence.” -William Henry Hudson

Fills My Soul

“Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.” -Stella Adler

It’s interesting; I’ve remained disciplined in my writing, but it just feels like I’ve lost touch with my passion over the last couple of years. I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty in my daily tasks, so I have great respect for a boring life. At the same time, life is meant to be lived—to be fun and adventurous. So now, I’m slowly rebuilding my writing life. There’s no other place where I feel like I’m sinking into a mixture of vulnerability and purpose all at the same time. Writing is the only place where I can actually feel like I’m doing something that fills my soul.

What fills your soul?

Writing Community

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” -Coretta Scott King

I appreciate the WordPress community. I’ve been digging back into my writing life, and I’m reconnecting with so many WordPress bloggers. It’s a slow crawl through the community, but I’m already finding some great writing. I can’t wait to start sharing what I find!

If you haven’t taken some time to use Reader on your WordPress blog, you’re missing out on some great connections. Maybe in the future, I’ll share a post on how to have fun navigating Reader and how easy it is to connect with new writers across the globe.

What do you think? Have you used the Reader? If not, are you itching to make new connections?

A Writer’s Truth

“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public.” – Winston Churchill

I can’t believe how accurate this quote is. I feel like I’ve only read Churchill in school and I don’t remember much about him, but this feels very on point when it comes to novel writing. I didn’t realize the level of commitment it took to write a novel, and what’s strange is I’m still here, still writing, and I still want to do it again and again. Maybe I’ll be faster next time. Maybe not. But I’m here for the long run. And I hope it continues to bring me life, or in other words, adds to it.

I’m a writer. How about you?